Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-11-05

The shop-girl problem mystifes all
men and many women.
New York shop-girls are divided into
m my grades, but they are of common
species.
Now and then some absurdly sensitive
member of the guild designates herself
as "saleslady," without pausing to think
how absurd it would be to speak of her
fellow-clerk as a salesgentleman, and
there is a tradition that in a popular
bazaar on Fourteenth street the
woman in charge is recognized as
the "forelady," while her masculine
companion, who does similar service to
the firm in experimenting men and boys,
has to be content with the appellation of
foreman, well knowing that if he were
to call himself foregentleman he would
be regarded as dude and treated as a
fraud. However stupid and careless in
dividuals among this class of useful
members of trade society may be, as a
general thing the shop-girls of New York
are bright, quick-witted, attentive and
exceptionally well dressed.
Dressed?
All, that's the interesting question.
The weekly pay of these girls runs from
50 to ST. Now and then we hear of a
phenomenon who receives $40, but the
vast majority get So, and quite number
get IS. For the sake of sensible argu-
ment let us strike an average, and say
that the wages of shop-girl in New
York city are 81 week, year in and
year out.
What does she do with it?
Well, in the first place, she has to have
a place in which to live and a table with
which to support her life. She must
have underclothes and neat, if not gaudy,
dresses, and suitable apparel for the
street when going to and from her en-
ployment. In the first place, it is no
easy thing to obtain a situation as shop
girl. People unfamiliar with that sort
of thing would be surprised at the
amount of red tape and inhuence-lit-
eral influence-necessary to procure
the humblest position for bright
and capable and willing girls. Of
their work it is unnecessary to
speak. In some stores they are driven
to the verge of desperation. The super
ciliousness, thoughtlessness and selfish
ness of shoppers have often been COM
mented upon, as have the cares and trou-
bles and physical discomforts of the
girls who wait upon them; but, after all,
the thing that most worries the women
making purchases is how the little party
on the other side of the counter manages,
on her 81 week, to pay her board and
to dress as neatly and look as charming
as she does; while the greatest trouble
the aforesaid party on the other side of
the counter has is to know how to make
both ends meet.
To what does this question tend?
That there are instances where the
clue followed would lead to disrepute
is an unquestioned fact, but to stigma
tie the great body of active strivers in
that field of operation as immoral would
be not only unmanly but absolutely
absurd. The girls live somewhere.
They manage to pay their board and
their occasional doctor. So far as can
be judged by careful scrutiny of their
apparel from the waist up-the remain
der being hidden by the counter
their costumes, though not as eX-
pensive, are quite as becoming and
pretty as those worn by the Gus
toners who tax their time and pa
thence. No matter how pallid and weary
and tagged and discontinued the average
shop-girl appears while at her work, it
is well known, by the thousands who
tread our busy streets at nightfall, that
the merriest groups they encounter are
laughing, rollicking, bright-eyed shop,
| girls on their way home to supper. 1t is
an ascertainable fact that these girls are
familiar with the great successes in the
theatre. Many of them are everlastingly
chewing something. Bright ribbons dec
crate their necks and pretentious rings
call attention to knuckles on their hands
They are rarely seen without earrings OF
some kind, and pretty if not costly jew.
elry adorns their person.
1t is said that very many of these girls
live at home, where their parents pro
vide all that is needed in the way oil
shelter and food, letting the girls have
the money that is paid them for theil
own dress and pleasure. That being the
case, one can readily understand how 6
careful, intelligent girl can make herself
look neat and trim and tidy on 81 6
week but majority do not live at home
They live in boarding houses, paying from
80 to So in the very cheapest and humbles
place, while low estimate would allow
them So so each per week for board
alone. 1t must be remembered that s.
are taken as the average, and thai
thousands get but So at the utmost
There may be stores and shops where
the girls are slatternly, and untidy in
appearance, offensive in manner, rude
and boisterous in behavior; but if So
and there is no proof that there are any
such-they are phenomenal exceptions
for, while many ladies complain of in
difference and suggested incivility, com
plant of absolute rudeness or boisterous
ness or discourtesy is thing almos
unheard of. 1t has been suggested
that comely girls are very ap